Social Media Impact on Young Consumers’ Behavior: A Consideration of Purchase Decision-Making Drivers, and the Mediating Role of E-Marketing for Achieving Business Leadership

Social networking is vital in shaping digital marketing strategies and consumer purchasing decisions across demographics. This study, involving 900 youths from the University of Algiers 03 during the school year 2024-2025, investigates social media’s influence on purchasing behavior, focusing on age and gender differences. Several key findings emerged from using hierarchical linear regression and SPSS 24 for analysis. Initially, 78% of participants reported that social media had a considerable impact on their purchasing choices, with 62% acknowledging its contribution to improving the efficacy of email marketing. This underscores the dual function of social media in influencing direct purchases and augmenting other digital marketing strategies. Second, there were differences in gender: 55% of female respondents reported significant influence from social media marketing as opposed to 45% of males, indicating that females are more susceptible to such marketing strategies. Finally, even within the relatively homogenous sample of students, there were age-related differences: 65% for the 18–21 age group as opposed to 35% for the 22–25 group, indicating that the younger the individual, the more the influence. These results emphasize the necessity for customized marketing strategies that consider demographic elements. The research enhances the comprehension of consumer behavior and provides valuable perspectives for creating individualized methods in digital marketing, especially within the Algerian setting.